Daring Fireball: The Chair

Many call him a raving fanboy, of course, but I think John has a gift for looking honestly and objectively at something he loves (in this case the iPad 2 and Apple in general), and commenting meaningfully on its strengths and weaknesses. Not many "weakness" comments in this post, but the whole thing is still a really worthwhile read. He offers these two paragraphs toward the end:

In his conclusion, Jobs said, "It's in Apple's DNA that technology is not enough." That's what separates Apple from everyone else, and the iPad epitomizes it. It's better designed, has more developer support, and it's cheaper. There are aspects of this that Apple's competitors seemingly can't copy — lower prices from economies of scale, amazing battery life, UI responsiveness, build quality.

But there are other things any competitor could copy, easily, but seemingly don't even understand that they should, because such things aren't technical. Take that chair. The on-stage demos of the iPad aren't conducted at a table or a lectern. They're conducted sitting in an armchair. That conveys something about the feel of the iPad before its screen is even turned on. Comfortable, emotional, simple, elegant. How it feels is the entirety of the iPad's appeal.

I would second that last sentence...in talking to clients about why they like their iPad, and what they do with it, one constant theme is that it has become a natural extension of their daily life - it fits into their day in ways that a laptop, desktop, or even a smartphone never could.